On Thin Ice
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Due to the recent events with the failed Order of the Wand, all sorcerers are being investigated for treason. While Sofia and the Enchancian royal family plead Cedric's case, the Conjurors' Board isn't so sure.


On Thin Ice

Summary: Due to the recent events with the failed Order of the Wand, all sorcerers are being investigated for treason. While Sofia and the Enchancian royal family plead Cedric's case, the Conjurors' Board isn't so sure.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_! I only own the concept of the Conjurors' Board (unless Craig decides to make one, in which case, have at it, lol) and its members.

A/N: I figure this _could_ happen at some point, though I doubt with the general nature of the show that it _would_. …So that's what I'm here for! Explore those possibilities and present new conflicts/challenges for our favorite duo. ;) I've been excited about writing this, so I hope you enjoy it! (By the way, if you're wondering why you've seen so many stories from me recently, it's for two reasons: one, the writing bug bit me _hard_ , and two, it's homecoming week where I teach and I likely won't be around much toward the end of this week and wanted to make sure you all had something to read…so yep! Those are my reasons. Hope y'all don't mind. Haha.)

Alert: Fluff warning! Y'all, I seriously turned into the dang Grinch (at the end of his story/movie) by the end of this… Heart pounding from happiness, feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside...though I will say that my eyes were _not_ leaking! Lol. Anyway, thought I'd issue that warning for those who got fluff-attacked on some of my last stories. :D

*Story*

There are several people who are perfectly fine with the idea of comfortable silence: it alleviates the need to speak too much, and it doesn't call for someone to _have_ to make conversation.

Sofia was not one of those people.

She gazed across the table at Cedric, who seemed distracted by his mixing of ingredients using a mortar and pestle. He'd hardly said two words the last half hour, and she'd already finished her part of the lesson. In fact, he'd been distracted nearly all week, and she was starting to get worried. It wasn't like him to just flat out ignore her. With that thought in mind, she frowned. "Mr. Cedric?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look at her. Instead, he kept at his task.

Now Sofia was really getting agitated. It was one thing to ignore her altogether, but to half-respond and then hardly pay attention to her _again_? "Mr. Cedric!"

Cedric paused his motions and looked toward the girl in surprise. "Wh-What is it, Sofia?"

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked softly, a far different approach from what she'd just attempted. She felt her lip quiver slightly, but she told herself not to become too emotional. He had to have a reason for his recent actions; she was sure.

The sorcerer tilted his head as he noticed her drastic change in expression. "No, dear girl… Why would you ask that?"

"Because you've been ignoring me all week, even when I have been right in front of your face." She lowered her head. "If I'm that much of an inconvenience to you, I can leave you alone for a while…"

"No, Sofia, it's nothing like that." He pushed the mortar and pestle aside and sighed heavily as he noticed the girl looking up at him with those sad blue eyes. "I suppose it's time you knew…"

"Knew what?" she asked cautiously, afraid of what he had to tell her. She sensed it was not good, and judging by his recent behavior, she couldn't imagine her intuition being wrong this time.

"Come. Let's get out of here for a while so we can talk properly. We need a break anyway." He allowed her to exit the door first before following after her, shutting the door behind them.

A few minutes of walking later, Sofia and Cedric settled several hundred feet away from his tower on a hill overlooking the water.

Before she could say or ask anything, Cedric withdrew what appeared to be a letter from his robe. She could see that his fingers were slightly trembling against the letter, and for the first time she realized exactly how nervous he seemed to be. Sensing that, she reached over and placed one hand over his shaking one, causing him to glance toward her. "Whatever it is, I promise I won't get mad," she declared simply. "After everything we've been through, there's nothing you could say or do that would make me stop being your friend."

Cedric actually sighed in relief and offered her a genuine smile. "I appreciate it, Sofia… I just wish others felt the same way."

"Is it my dad? Because if it is, don't worry. I'll talk to him again. He really needs to ease up on you and give you the benefit of the doubt."

He shook his head as he unfolded the letter. "I wish it _were_ King Roland this time… It would likely be a lot easier." With that said, he offered the letter to his apprentice so that she could read it for herself.

 _To Whom It May Concern:_

 _In regards to recent events at the Conjurors' Conference, whereby a particular group calling themselves the "Order of the Wand" attempted to overthrow their respective kingdoms' rulers, we the members of the Conjurors' Board are visiting each and every sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, witch, warlock, and everyone in between for verification of loyalty to his or her position._

 _If we find that you are innocent of any desire to overthrow authority, you are free to carry on with your duties and ambitions as normal. However, if we discover that you had any affiliation with the Order of the Wand and its leader Grimtrix, you will be stripped of your title, your wand will be confiscated, and any natural magical abilities you possess will be extracted from you. Treason is a strong word, ladies and gentlemen, but it is a topic we Conjurors take very seriously._

 _Expect a visit soon from one of our esteemed members for your interrogation. Do not attempt to avoid the visit; you will automatically be exiled from all magical meetings thereafter. It is my hope that those guilty have already been handled._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Malango the Magnanimous_

Sofia lowered the letter and looked toward her mentor in concern. "Is _this_ why you've been so distant this week?"

"Wouldn't you be?" he countered gently, taking the letter back from her and folding it up, placing it in his robe again. "They're going to discover my attempts, Sofia… And I'll have all of my magic, my wand, my title, my entire _life_ taken away from me in an instant."

"Not if we speak for you," she argued, shaking her head. "They can't do that when you've been forgiven and received a second chance."

"I'm afraid it's not that easy, my dear. It's impossible to lie to them about anything. They always uncover the truth. Even if I've received a second chance from your father, the fact remains that I did indeed try to take over this kingdom. I'd frozen everyone with those ridiculous Medusa Stones Grimtrix gave us… And if you hadn't stopped me, I would have succeeded."

The girl lowered her hands into her lap and played with the magenta and purple lining of her dress. "You would have recanted either way," she informed him softly—so softly that he almost missed it. "I know you, Mr. Cedric. The guilt would have eaten you up inside, and you would have done the right thing in the end anyway." She looked toward him with a sad smile. "It's who you are… You have a much better moral compass than Grimtrix could ever hope to have."

Cedric gave her a half smile. "I know… I just hope it's enough to save me this time."

Sofia suddenly frowned as she thought about the letter. "So…does that mean those in the Order of the Wand lost their powers and titles then?"

He looked away and shrugged.

"Even Mr. Greylock?"

"There's no 'even' to it, my girl. Greylock participated in the event as much as any of the rest of us. Unfortunately, that makes him as guilty as anyone else." He sighed and turned back toward his friend. "If it did happen, it's because he betrayed King Magnus and broke the magical law. They take loyalty rather seriously; that's why my father was always so hard on me, I'm sure…because he didn't want me going down a path to destruction, which I suppose I did either way."

"Let's not call it that," Sofia suggested. "We'll just call it a detour to finding yourself: who you _really_ are." She grasped his arm and smiled. "You have a good heart, Mr. Cedric. If you didn't, you easily could have hurt me that day; but you didn't, and surely the Conjurors' Board can see that and accept the fact that you're not the same person anymore." She knew he was about to argue against her, so she shook her head. "I'll defend you until the end if I have to, but _no one_ is taking my Mr. Cedric away. I won't let them."

Cedric smiled at her defensive tone and pulled his arm from her grasp, wrapping it around her instead to pull her into a side hug. "Thank you, Sofia…"

"And just so you know, I think we should tell Dad about this."

"I already have." Cedric actually laughed softly. "Believe it or not, not quite in the same words of course, he said something similar to what you said…"

The princess was pleasantly surprised by this news. "Really? Good! I'm glad they're starting to come around." She leaned into him more and hugged him closer. "You're not a bad guy, Mr. Cedric. You never have been. You've just made mistakes, the same as the rest of us. And we don't hold it against you; never have, and never will."

He smiled and nodded before helping her to her feet again before standing up himself. "I suppose we should—" He glanced up as a loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the kingdom, the clouds becoming much darker much faster. "Well, perhaps we should go inside and avoid this storm, hmm?"

"Yeah, hurry!" She rushed back up the hill with her mentor in tow, and they both made it into the castle just as the rain started to pour down. Sofia stared at the falling rain in awe. "It's amazing how quickly it went from pleasant weather to bad in a matter of minutes."

"It's like a metaphor for my life," Cedric joked, smiling as she nudged him playfully.

"Hot cocoa, you two?"

Sofia and Cedric turned to see Baileywick carrying a tray with the aforementioned drinks resting on it, the steam evident as it lazily drifted upward. The princess smiled and nodded, as did her mentor, and both thanked the steward as they accepted their drinks while Baileywick left to his usual chores.

"It's like he knows when we need a chocolate moment," Sofia giggled before sipping her drink.

"Is that what we're calling our moments of uncertainty now?" Cedric teased, causing her to sputter against the hot cocoa, which made her laugh harder. He rolled his eyes and produced a new handkerchief, offering it to her. "So much for being a _dainty_ princess."

She grinned as she accepted the fabric and wiped off her face. "Who said anything about being dainty? In case you haven't heard, Mr. Cedric, I'm a pretty _unique_ princess."

He chuckled. "I should hope so."

The rest of the day passed by as usual, with the addition of the stormy weather, of course. However, the next day was quite a bit different… Just after the family had finished breakfast, Roland received the announcement that a member of the Conjurors' Board had arrived to interview Cedric as well as the family.

Sofia glanced up at her friend as he stood next to her in the throne room. Though he tried to hide it, she could tell he was visibly shaken and nervous. When she clasped her warm hands around his as a sign of support, she was quite surprised to feel just how cold his fingers were. Could that be from his nervous state? Was he truly that scared? …Of course he was. He was afraid of losing everything; and if she was really honest with herself, she was scared of his losing everything too. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves as well as offer him some comfort.

Though Cedric didn't look at his apprentice, he did give her hands a grateful squeeze. He didn't know what he'd do without her support right now.

"King Roland," an older man with peculiar shade of light lavender hair greeted as he bowed respectfully. "I am Malango the Magnanimous, one of the chairmen of the Conjurors' Board. I am here to speak with your Royal Sorcerer Cedric in regards to the Order of the Wand."

"Yes, of course," Roland agreed, though he sounded somewhat apprehensive. "Is this absolutely necessary though? It seems a bit extreme."

The older man frowned heavily. "You won't be saying the same if and when your kingdom is overtaken by a conjuror with wayward tendencies."

"Been there, done that," James whispered to Amber, who nudged him none too gently from her throne. "Ow!"

"Well, you're welcome to speak with him, of course," the king relented, trailing off. He wasn't sure what else he could say at this point. It wasn't that he was scared of Malango the Mongoose or whatever his name was… He just didn't seem like the type of magic person to irritate.

"So who among you is Cedric?" Malango inquired as he gazed around the room before setting his sights on the purple-clad sorcerer. "Hmm, a work robe, gloved hands, exhausted yet weary expression? Yes, I'm going to assume you are Cedric."

"I'm not sure how to respond to that summarization," Cedric began hesitantly as Sofia released his hand so that he could walk forward and shake hands with the other man, "but yes, I am Cedric the Sensational, Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia."

"Very well then. I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and I must inform you that every question asked is not in confidence, as it will be conducted in front of the royal family. They have every right to know the responses to my questions, as it is your job to work for them and assist them magically in every respect. They deserve an honest and hardworking sorcerer. Are you that sorcerer?"

"I am," he said, though he knew he sounded less confident than he wanted to.

"Hmm… We shall see." Malango unrolled a list. "I'll begin with some relatively typical questions before delving into the more recent matters. Your responses are monitored magically, so any time you falsify information, I will know."

"I understand." Cedric glanced toward Sofia, who was standing next to him again. "It's all right, Sofia. Go sit with your family for now, okay?"

Uncertainly, she nodded and walked over to her throne and sat down. She smiled as her mother grabbed her hand and held it gently in a reassuring gesture.

Malango placed a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose as he began his interrogation. "Cedric the Sensational, who are your family members?"

Though he wasn't entirely sure why that was important, he did answer the question. "Goodwyn the Great, Winifred the Wise, and Cordelia the Conjuror…and my niece Calista, of course." Yeah, the child would flip if she found out that her uncle hadn't mentioned her.

"Hmm, interesting. I'm well acquainted with your parents—your father more so, actually."

Cedric subtly turned and rolled his eyes. What else was new? He then folded his arms as he faced the man again, waiting for his next question.

"Where did you attend sorcery school?"

"Hexley Hall."

"And you were acquainted with Grimtrix the Good?"

The Royal Sorcerer's eye twitched slightly. "I'd say 'acquainted' is a rather generous term. We occupied the same space on some occasions."

Malango raised his eyebrows at the rather persnickety response. "So I take it you two do not see eye to eye?"

"You might say that, yes."

"Well, I can't say I blame you." He pushed his spectacles up a bit. "Granted, his involvement and leadership in the quest to overthrow royals might have had a bit of an influence, but I digress."

Thank Merlin he was digressing. Maybe he'd digress himself right out of the castle.

"Now then, did you have anything to do with the Order of the Wand?"

…Or not. Cedric cleared his throat and lowered his arms as he became a bit nervous, which the older man caught onto.

Sofia looked rather worried now. She just knew his dark secret was going to be revealed, and given the circumstances, there really wasn't much of anything she could do. She just had to trust that he could handle the situation on his own.

"…Not…in any manner I believe you suspect," Cedric responded honestly, garnering his attention. "Look, I'm going to be quite transparent with you, Malango… I've made several mistakes in my career as a Royal Sorcerer, some more severe and serious than others. I've had questionable motives and ethics, all due to the fact that I didn't really have confidence in myself."

The man watched the younger sorcerer carefully.

"While I did not begin the Order of the Wand, and though I initially had no desire to be a part of it because of my loyalty to Princess Sofia and her family, I must admit that I stumbled a bit there. I was briefly active as a member, and I at one time did possess the Medusa Stone."

Malango frowned heavily. "I hate to say it, but I rather suspected that… Your reputation precedes you, Cedric."

The purple-clad sorcerer matched the other man's frown. "Which one?"

"Many have often spoken of you as a questionable sorcerer with subpar abilities. You're not exactly one mentioned among the revered voices of our profession. So I can't say your involvement in the Order of the Wand is much of a surprise to me."

"That's just rude," Sofia snapped, causing her parents and siblings to gape at her. "Mr. Cedric doesn't deserve to be talked to like that, Mr. Malango. You're out of line."

"Sofia," Roland started in a warning tone, though he was inclined to agree with the girl.

"Young princess, this doesn't concern you," Malango insisted. "This is a magical matter, and it's best to leave you royals out of it."

"He taught me magic," she continued with her hands clenched. "He made me his apprentice. He cared about me and my abilities when other people had already decided that no _princess_ would ever or _should_ ever have any interest in magic." She stood up and paced back and forth. "He's protected me from evil and harm—and even when he did have the opportunity to take over my kingdom and attack me, he _didn't_." She looked at her friend sincerely. "He relented and offered himself up in order to spare me. You can't tell me that's not the work of a truly amazing sorcerer. And you're wrong, Mr. Malango. When you start verbally attacking my mentor and friend, it _does_ concern me."

"Sofia," Cedric whispered in awe.

Malango folded his arms. "Even if that may be the case, Princess Sofia, with all due respect, I wish you'd face reality." He gestured toward Cedric. "He's plotted against your family, even by your own admission, and by his as well. He's physically taken this kingdom by force, you claim. And yet you stand there and _defend_ him? Why? What's stopping him from doing the same thing again and succeeding this time, despite your intervention?"

"Because you don't betray people you care about," Sofia stated clearly and calmly. "Mr. Cedric made a mistake the first time, because people like you only see the stupid 'reputation' and don't give people a chance to prove that they can be better. How is he supposed to prove himself if you don't even let him try?"

"You want to run the risk of having your kingdom corrupted? I'm afraid I don't understand this savior mentality you have, little one."

"We do," Miranda stepped in as she clasped her hands in her lap. "Cedric has improved so much over the last few years as a sorcerer. Much of it is of his own doing, and I agree with Sofia. He's trying so hard to be better. If you discourage him now, I honestly can't say I'd blame him for trying to overtake a kingdom. Why try to be a better person if people don't believe you actually can? That's like saying, 'Oh, you're going to fail this test, but I want you to try to pass it anyway.' That's ridiculous."

Both Cedric and Roland were surprised by the queen's admission, but neither said anything. The surprised silence pretty much said it all.

"Mr. Malango, don't think I'm being disrespectful or anything," Sofia started with a bit more restraint this time, though she found it incredibly hard when she knew she was, yet again, having to defend her best friend to the ignorance of others. "I just feel that since _we_ gave him another chance and actually trust what he's saying, then maybe you could too."

"It's just so hard to be certain these days, little one," Malango told her with a shake of his head. "You think you know someone, and then that someone turns out to be either a criminal or a serious opposition."

"Let me make it clearer for everyone then." Sofia absently grasped her amulet, almost as if reaching for her security blanket. "Even after everything Mr. Cedric did, and even though the 'magic law' states that he should be punished for his crime, I'd still trust him with my life."

Cedric's eyes widened. As did her parents' and siblings'. Apparently Sofia had a way of saying things that surprised people, but then again, what else was new?

"That's a rather strong declaration," Malango murmured as he folded his arms.

The young princess smiled toward an equally surprised Cedric. "But it's true. I trust you, Mr. Cedric. We've had our ups and downs and our differences before, but I feel like all the troubles we went through together made us stronger in the end. And I don't care what everyone else says. I still say, as I've always said, that you're a great sorcerer."

Amber sniffled a bit, apparently touched by her sister's plea. "Mr. Malango, can't you see that if you take away Cedric's magical abilities and everything, you're basically taking _him_ away? Cedric isn't Cedric without magic."

"Yeah!" James added. "No one else in this castle, except maybe Sofia, can create spells and potions to help with day-to-day stuff. I mean, even when he doesn't want to, he's always there to help us out! Sure, he can be a grumpy sorcerer." He completely missed the miffed look on Cedric's face at that line. "But if you take away his magic, he'll just be a grumpy…Cedric. Actually, he'll be even grumpier, because he'll actually have to do stuff the normal way like us non-magic people."

" _Thanks_ for that, Prince James," Cedric added in, none too amused by the boy's assessment.

Malango the Magnanimous heaved a sigh before wielding his own light blue wand, producing a huge book of rules and regulations for everything in the magical world. He skimmed quickly through the pages before coming across a section of particular interest. "Let's see if I can grant you any amnesty whatsoever… This is the official law book for all of us magic users. Perhaps, due to the royal family's request, there's a way I can…overlook your misstep."

Cedric's eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

"I said _perhaps_. Don't get too excited just yet." He levitated the book into the air and produced a spell that caused the written words to be read aloud.

 _Section XI: Misconduct of a Conjuror_

 _Any reported or observed misconduct or misuse of magic for one's own personal gain and satisfaction, including but not limited to stealing, kidnapping, overthrowing, blackmailing, or manipulating others for any reason, shall result in immediate relief of any and all obtained magical qualities, abilities, and/or items of any sort (i.e.: wands, scepters, etc.). The accused shall be subjected to review by the Conjurors' Board to determine ultimate declaration._

 _Subsection: Reprieve_

 _In any case of pardon granted by a person of higher rank than that of a magic wielder (i.e.: king, emperor, pharaoh, etc.), the otherwise admonished act shall receive a strong reprimand and one warning. If the wielder in question conducts himself or herself in such a manner any other time, the pardon of the higher ranks shall be voided._

"Huh, that's something they don't teach you at Royal Prep," Roland remarked curiously.

"So what does that mean?" James asked.

"It means Princess Sofia was right," Malango admitted. "While I still strongly caution you, Cedric, to present yourself in a more positive and esteemed manner…" He finally smiled as he looked around. "…I can see that you're very much appreciated around here. I hope you realize how incredibly fortunate you are."

Cedric smiled appreciatively as Sofia hurried down from her throne and hugged him tightly. He lowered next to the princess in order to return her hug before standing before his superior with the girl's hand clasped gently in his own. "Believe me, Malango… I understand completely. Some days I still can't believe how lucky I am."

"Hmm. Just exercise good judgment. We'll be monitoring you more closely from now on though." He bowed respectfully to the royal family. "Your Majesties." With that, he left in a flash of light.

"Dad, _that's_ what I want for Wassailia," James joked with a grin. "A cool exit!"

"I'll see what I can do, son," Roland remarked just as playfully. He smiled toward Cedric and Sofia. "Looks like you two managed to stand on your own this time. I'm proud of both of you."

"So am I," Miranda added kindly. "It's amazing what real friendship can do, isn't it?"

"Thank you all," Cedric sighed gratefully with a nod. "To be perfectly honest, I was terrified of losing everything for a while there… I don't know what I'd do without you all…" He looked down at his apprentice. "And especially you, Sofia… I don't know what I did to deserve your friendship."

She smiled. "You gave me a chance: a chance to get to know you, to learn magic, to be someone I never thought I could be. So now I'm just repaying the favor."

He laughed softly before nodding at her. "Thank you, Sofia."

The end


End file.
